Characteristics of Unmarried Partners and Married Spouses, 2000

(in thousands)

The following table shows the number and percent of unmarried partners and married spouses in the United States according to sex, age, race, education, labor force status, personal earnings, and presence of children.

Number

Percent

Unmarried partners

Married spouses

Unmarried partners

Married spouses

Characteristic

Men

Women

Men

Women

Men

Women

Men

Women

Total

3,822

3,822

56,497

56,497

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

Age:

15 to 24 years old

597

937

1,321

2,386

15.6

24.5

2.3

4.2

25 to 34 years old

1,413

1,269

9,296

10,964

37.0

33.2

16.5

19.4

35 years old and over

1,811

1,616

45,881

43,146

47.4

42.3

81.2

76.4

Race and Hispanic origin

White

3,127

3,147

49,668

49,581

81.8

82.3

87.9

87.8

Non-Hispanic

2,710

2,742

44,350

44,142

70.9

71.7

78.5

78.1

Black

562

498

4,294

4,097

14.7

13.0

7.6

7.3

Asian and Pacific Islander

63

105

2,118

2,393

1.6

2.7

3.7

4.2

Hispanic (of any race)

453

433

5,550

5,671

11.9

11.3

9.8

10.0

Education

Less than high school

683

599

8,314

7,160

17.9

15.7

14.7

12.7

High school graduate

1,441

1,357

17,506

19,950

37.7

35.5

31.0

35.3

Some college

996

1,223

14,002

14,968

26.1

32.0

24.8

26.5

College graduate

702

643

16,674

14,419

18.4

16.8

29.5

25.5

Labor force status Employed

3,179

2,894

42,854

34,067

83.2

75.7

75.9

60.3

Unemployed

187

178

992

961

4.9

4.7

1.8

1.7

Not in labor force

453

747

12,650

21,468

11.9

19.5

22.4

38.0

Personal earnings

Without earnings

402

642

11,353

19,368

10.5

16.8

20.1

34.3

With earnings

3,419

3,178

45,144

37,132

89.5

83.2

79.9

65.7

Under $5,000

184

373

1,874

4,683

4.8

9.8

3.3

8.3

$5,000 to $9,999

286

395

1,665

4,183

7.5

10.3

2.9

7.4

$10,000 to $14,999

360

445

2,401

4,497

9.4

11.6

4.2

8.0

$15,000 to $19,999

410

441

3,101

4,427

10.7

11.5

5.5

7.8

$20,000 to $24,999

401

397

3,561

4,249

10.5

10.4

6.3

7.5

$25,000 to $29,999

336

315

3,595

3,429

8.8

8.2

6.4

6.1

$30,000 to $39,999

548

405

7,492

4,954

14.3

10.6

13.3

8.8

$40,000 to $49,999

337

201

6,096

2,976

8.8

5.3

10.8

5.3

$50,000 to $74,999

370

137

8,703

2,683

9.7

3.6

15.4

4.7

$75,000 and over

187

69

6,656

1,051

4.9

1.8

11.8

1.9

Presence of children

With children1

1,563

1,563

25,771

25,771

40.9

40.9

45.6

45.6

NOTE: Data are not shown separately for the American Indian and Alaska Native population because of the small sample size in the Current Population Survey in March 2000.

1. May be own children of either partner or both partners. Excludes ever married children under 18 years.